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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30098853">Of Hide and Seek and Rice Krispies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudiarya/pseuds/claudiarya'>claudiarya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Clowns will be Clowns, Crack, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Family Shenanigans, Found Family, Friendship, Game Night, Hide and Seek, Multi, Pining, Rice Krispies have a deeper meaning, Risiko/ Grishaverse edition, Them being the dumb kids they actually are, They're Having Fun, Three Bros Chilling in a Merchling House, chaotic energy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:41:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30098853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudiarya/pseuds/claudiarya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While Inej is at sea, it's up to Jesper and Wylan to keep an eye on Dirtyhands. It's all fun and games until one finds himself stuck in a wardrobe for a game of Hide and Seek... gone wrong.</p><p>From the text:<br/>"Kaz Brekker swore under his breath for probably the hundredth time in the span of two hours. How in the name of all Saints had he ended up in this situation? He shook his head in exasperation, and put an ungloved hand on his face, in a self-reprimanded gesture. He breathed in the stuffy air of the wardrobe he was hiding in at the moment."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Inej Ghafa &amp; Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey &amp; Wylan Van Eck, Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker &amp; Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker &amp; Jesper Fahey, Kaz Brekker &amp; Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Of Hide and Seek and Rice Krispies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/clary1835/gifts">clary1835</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonblue/gifts">crimsonblue</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello there!<br/>I'm back with another SoC story, because I missed them a lot and the new content we're getting from the series is giving all of us major meltdowns.<br/>This is a fun fanfiction, based on a tweet I saw forever ago on my timeline in which the @/ had as a headcanon the fact that while she was away at sea, Jesper and Wylan would take it upon themselves to 'care for' Kaz and his angsty ass.</p><p>English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for any kind of mistakes. As alway, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Kaz Brekker swore under his breath for probably the hundredth time in the span of two hours. How in the name of all Saints had he ended up in this situation? He shook his head in exasperation, and put an ungloved hand on his face, in a self-reprimanded gesture. He breathed in the stuffy air of the wardrobe he was hiding in at the moment.</p><p>Dirtyhands hiding, one might ask? Kaz was never one to hide, but the current predicament he was involved in, required him to do so. He huffed again while shifting position, his bad leg had started aching and he didn’t know how much longer he was going to last inside that forsaken wardrobe.</p><p>But no. He was not going to be the first one to yield and inevitably loose. He was not going to give this satisfaction to his other competitors, and so, as stubbornly as ever he stayed where he was, hating every minute of it.</p><p> </p><p><em>How did I end up in this ridiculous situation? </em>He thought to himself again, as he sighed. Well, he did know how, perhaps the real question he should be asking was <em>Why did I let Jesper and Wylan talk me into this? </em> They had told him this was supposed to be fun, but here he was, stuck in a freaking wardrobe in the Van Eck estate, with every bone of his body begging to be stretched, and with the mounting feeling of wanting to smash his cane on every surface of this building.  </p><p>Not really his idea of fun, if he was honest with himself. Not even remotely. Kaz found that he missed his paperwork that was waiting for him back at the Slat. At least in his room he could stretch his leg!</p><p> </p><p>He exhaled, loudly, but immediately brought a hand over his mouth. No. He couldn’t commit these rookie mistakes. He was not going to be found just because he had breathed. Trying to calm down his frustration, the boy propped his head against one of the wardrobe doors, careful not to open it, and not to make any sound.</p><p> </p><p>He closed his eyes and remembered when all this… <em>farce</em> had started. It had been probably a couple of months ago. He was focused on his work, scribbling here, signing that paper, adding numbers mentally, when the door had burst open. There was only one person who didn’t bother to knock, or at least not anymore, not after their whole ordeal at the Ice Court and their uncountable near, if not certain, death experiences. Jesper Fahey had strolled right into his office, as if he owned the place as well, and had plopped on the chair opposite to him. Kaz had tried to ignore him, keeping his head bent over his papers, even though his eye had involuntarily twitched at the sudden <em>bang</em> of the door. If he was going to kill him for this Wylan would have understood right?  </p><p> </p><p>“You know I’ve killed for far less, Jesper,” he had rasped, still not looking up.</p><p>“Good day to you, too, Kaz. How are you doing?” the Zemeni boy had chirped.</p><p>“You tell me. It was you who invaded my office uninvited.”</p><p>“I’m doing spectacularly.” Then a pause, a pretty long one. Kaz was starting to feel unnerved under Jesper’s stare, and finally with an exasperated sigh, he had lifted his head and had asked.</p><p>“What is it, Jes?”</p><p>“What, I can’t visit my friend now?” He had asked feigning indignation with a hand on his chest.</p><p>“I don’t think you’ve come all this way just to make your entrance and exchange pleasantries with me. So, spit it out.” He had said as he had leaned back in his chair and his hand gripped his cane that had been laying against the desk beside him.</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Jesper had started. “Wylan and I think you should come over for dinner and board games one of these nights.” He had finished, mimicking his friend’s position.</p><p>“And why should you think so?” Kaz had retorted with a clipped tone, that usually marked he was done with a conversation. But Jesper being Jesper, had ignored it and kept going.</p><p>“We barely see you these days, and on top of that…” the sharpshooter had paused.</p><p>“Yes?” the other boy had prompted, murderous thoughts swirling again in his mind.</p><p>“I kinda promised Inej I would keep an eye on you while she was at sea.” Jesper had finished with a lower tone.</p><p>Inej really had asked him that? Why, she didn’t trust he could take care of himself?</p><p>“I don’t need a babysitter.” If his voice had born a final tone before, now it was glacial.</p><p>The other boy had huffed but then had surprisingly answered with calm as he had stood “I know. We invited you because we wanted to see you, can you believe it? And besides, it’s just for fun. To spend some hours in a different way rather than being couped up inside here all day long.”</p><p> </p><p>After another moment of silence, in which Kaz had looked at his hand resting on top of the cane he had uttered “I’ll think about it…”  and immediately after, spotting the grin on Jesper’s faces he had added “I’m not saying yes!”</p><p>“But you’re not saying no either.” On the door, the gangly boy had turned his head slightly “If I were you, I’d considered your options thoroughly. We both know how scary Inej can be when she wants.”</p><p>Kaz wondered if Jesper had heard his half-scream to get out, or if he was already safe passed his door.</p><p>***</p><p> And this is how it had all begun. Almost every week, after finishing with his business, and if he wasn’t busy with jobs, Kaz would make his way from the Barrel to the Van Eck’s estate. The three boys had taken the habit of playing games after dinner. After three weeks in a row of Wylan and Jesper miserably losing at cards against Kaz, not really to the surprise of anyone, the sharpshooter had announced loud and clear that they were going to change game every time they would meet.</p><p>“I’m not playing with you anymore,” he had shouted while standing up and fumbling a hand in the other boy’s general direction. “You’re cheating. Or doing something in those freaky ways of yours!”</p><p>“I’m not cheating, I just know how to play. There’s a difference.” Kaz had replied calmly. Wylan’s eyes darting between the two, had tried to contain a laugh, clearly entertained by the situation.</p><p>“Still, no more card games with you. And we’re playing a different game every night we’re meeting. Saints know how you would spend your time studying the mechanism of a new one.” Jesper had seated again and after a brief pause…</p><p>“Well as you taught us <em>If you can’t be the odds, change the game.</em> Literally.” Wylan had exclaimed.</p><p>“Wylan, my son, I’m glad to hear that my teachings are being employed for something useful.” He had played along.</p><p>At that Jesper had burst out laughing, followed almost instantly by the merchling. Even Kaz’s mouth had taken the shape of an amused grin.</p><p>He was <em>not </em>having fun. Not at all.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>“I’m attacking Ravka” Jesper said to his boyfriend. They had been playing for almost two hours now, and the game still seemed far from ending. Wylan looked flustered, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, hands in his hair. Even Kaz looked slightly disheveled, he had propped his leg on a low stool that his kindly host had found for him to use during their almost weekly meetings. The sharpshooter gave him a bright smile, waiting for the other boy’s response. Wylan was slowly, but surely losing, and this attack from Jesper/The Shu-Han was probably going to give him the final blow, that had started with Kaz’s invasion from Fjierda.</p><p>The younger boy sighed deeply, while taking the dices in his hands. “Why are you all intent on attacking me?” he asked with a tone mixed with amusement and desperation.</p><p>“As Nina would say: ‘it’s Ravka!’” replied Jesper with a wink.</p><p>They rolled and… the hand sucked.</p><p> “I can’t seem to be doing a decent roll of dice tonight,” he grumbled under his breath. Jesper’s, on the contrary, was more fortunate, and it was official, he was invading Wylan’s territory. With a whoop of elation, the Zemeni boy took out the little tanks from Ravka, as Kaz, studied the board before exclaiming sarcastically.</p><p>“Would you look at this? It’s like we’re watching history events unfold before us.”</p><p>The raucous laughter of his friends made him grin as well.</p><p>He was<em> just</em> indulging them, he repeated himself.</p><p>He was not having fun. Not at all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>Once, after dinner Wylan had scurried happily into the kitchen, and had come back bringing with him a big package of sweets, looking literally like a child. He was grinning so broadly that Kaz had wondered for a second if his cheek weren’t aching.</p><p>Cocking his head slightly he had asked “What are those things?”</p><p>Jesper being his usual dramatic self, had gasped loudly “You mean to tell me…you’ve never had Rice Krispies before?”</p><p> “No, I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”</p><p>“They’re the single greatest thing ever invented by humankind… after waffles.” He had said ignoring his dry response.</p><p>“They’re very famous sweets made of rice from around here. I loved them as a child, and when I saw them today, I simply had to buy them!” Wylan had chimed in, opening the big pack and offering one to him.</p><p> </p><p>Kaz had reached out with an ungloved hand. He was trying not to wear gloves whenever he felt safe, and strangely enough, here in this room with these two people he had grown quite comfortable that he didn't feel the need to keep them on. Every time he entered the Van Eck estate, he would shuck them off.  </p><p>He studied the little wrapping, turning it attentively in his fingers as if he was studying a particular complicated piece of puzzle. He wasn’t really one for sweet things, except for the occasional waffles. As a child on the farm with Jordie and Da he had had sweets, but nothing like this one, and he supposed that when his childhood had been ripped away from him, he hadn’t really dallied on trivial things as eating candy.</p><p> </p><p>The wrapping was deep blue with a… creepy, grinning man on it. Also, were those stars in his eyes he had?</p><p>Kaz had quirked an eyebrow but had decided to take a bite of the little white rice-bar. The sugary taste of it had woken his taste buds up. It had felt strange but at the same time almost exhilarating. Talk about a sugar rush… he didn’t expect it to be as tasty as it was, but yet again he didn’t really know what to expect every time he set foot in this house with those two.</p><p>He had noticed only in that moment that both Wylan and Jesper were watching him, expectantly waiting for him to pass judgement on the thing.</p><p>“So?” had prompted Jesper. “How is it?”</p><p>“It’s okay” Kaz had shrugged in response, as noncommittal as ever.  </p><p>“Just okay?” the gangly boy had shaken his head disapprovingly with his arms crossed.</p><p> He had taken another bite and swallowed looking down at the wrapping</p><p>“How can people still buy this? The guy on the wrapping is creepy. Surely it mustn’t be good for business.”</p><p>“Ugh… it’s the iconic Rice Krispie man, Kaz! Not everything revolves around busines.” The Zemeni had sounded incredulous, and he had shaken his head more vigorously, almost offended by Kaz’s statement.</p><p>“Come on, Jes. It is a little creepy. When I was young, I always asked myself why he had to smile so damn much,” said Wylan grimacing as he too looked at the candy bar in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, luckily for us the best part it’s what’s inside, even if some of us think they’re just okay,” the sharpshooter had remarked, brow raised.</p><p>Neither Jesper nor Wylan had noticed when Kaz, with a stealthy and thieving hand had put in his pockets a couple of Rice Krispies… or had they?</p><p>From that moment on, whenever they would meet, Wylan would bring out a package of the candy for everyone to snack on during their game night. From that moment on, if someone were to search Kaz Brekker’s pockets – improbable – they would have found a couple of candy bars with the creepy man on them.</p><p>But he didn’t really like them. Not at all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>Now trapped for what felt like hours in the wardrobe, Kaz cursed. Again. Why did he agree to this? He had thought they were going to play board games as they usually did, but no, Jesper had had to whine about he was bored, dismissing every game proposed and the two boys had had to come up with this idea to <em>change things a bit </em>or something like that. He had honestly no idea. He just knew that he had gotten stuck, literally, in this situation, and he was not going to give them the satisfaction of being the first one to break.</p><p> </p><p>Kaz looked around, the only source of light coming from the lamplight outside of the window was coming through one of the doors he had left ajar. He could barely make out the few items of clothing hanged there, but he didn’t need to see them to know to whom they belonged to. He reached out a tentative hand and rubbed the thick material of a vest between his thumb and index, images of Inej flooding his head. Her warm smile, the feel of their bare hands touching. The last time he had seen her before she had taken off again, the setting sun had colored his little room at the Slat in warm orange light, and Inej had appeared to him as a painting: her hair loose on her shoulder, as she had laid her hand on one side of his window sill.</p><p><em>Saints</em>, he thought, <em>since when did I become this simping mess?</em></p><p>Who was he kidding? He had always been one for her, despite all the denial he liked to show as his façade. He just wished wherever she was, that she was safe and free, as she had never truly been by his side.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>“We could play hide and seek!” Wylan had said enthusiastically looking between him and Jesper, who in return had brought one of his arms around the merchling, kissing his cheek tenderly.</p><p>“You know, I always tell you you’re cuter when you’re smart, but you’re killing me like this!” he had exclaimed, causing the other boy’s face to flush a deep shade of red to match his hair.</p><p>Ignoring this exchange between them, as he always did when they got like this, Kaz had asked “How do you play?”</p><p>By now the two hosts were used to the fact that their friend did not have a normal childhood and went on to explain on how the game worked.</p><p>“It’s simple really,” said the merchling “you have to hide, and you don’t have to be found.”</p><p>And so, they did. They had taken turns at hiding with Wylan playing the flute as not to let the others hear where they were going. He had climbed the stairs, his feet carrying him unconsciously to one specific room of the house and he had decided it then and there it would be his hiding place.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Two girls, one significantly taller than the other, walked arm in arm along the Geldcanal, chatting amiably. The shorter girl giggled at something the other had said, head tipped back, eyes crinkling on the sides. When they reached the door of the Van Eck mansion, they stopped giddy by the prospect of a good meal, but most importantly the company of their friends who they hadn’t seen in a while. Nina took a step on the first stair in front of the entrance, but before even realizing it, one of Inej’s arms stopped her, impeding her to make another move.</p><p>“Something is wrong,” stated Inej, as he studied the house.</p><p>It was uncharacteristically dark, and silent. Very silent. No indication of Wylan playing his flute or the sound of Jesper’s voice.</p><p>Nina looked at her, concern written on her face. The Suli girl knew how hard was for her friend to be back here in Ketterdam, the bad memories the city always seemed to stir in her. But when she had happened to meet her in Os Kervo, she had agreed to go back with her. The latest war in Ravka, had taken a toll on everyone, and when Inej had presented her the opportunity, the Grisha had taken it gladly, feeling the need to take a break from everything.</p><p>“What? What do you think happened?”</p><p> “I don’t know, but something doesn’t feel right. Wait here!”</p><p>She hadn’t even finished talking that she was already climbing the wall of the house, going straight for the window of the room Wylan and Jesper had insisted to be hers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>With his head leaned against one of the closet doors, Kaz closed his eyes and took another deep breath. How much longer was he to stay hidden? This was getting ridiculous. He lifted his head slightly before bonking it again against the wood. It was probably because he was lost in thoughts and in his growing desperation that he didn’t immediately realize that someone had broken into the room from the window. There was an eerie silence, he couldn’t hear steps shuffling on the floor.</p><p>Had he imagined it?</p><p>No, he was sure, there was someone inside the room that hadn’t been there two seconds before. He had this sort of funny <em>feeling</em>.</p><p> Kaz stilled himself, cursing –again – because he had left his cane downstairs. Completely barehanded, he straightened as stealthily as he could, reaching for a… hanger.</p><p>He had just gotten hold of his deadly weapon, when the door he had been leaning against not so much ago, burst open.</p><p> </p><p>It happened so fast: at first, he was gripping the hanger tightly, ready to take out whoever had had the gulls to trespass, and the next thing he knew he was being held at point knife, the steel of it glinting in the light, keeping him seated at the base of the piece of furniture.</p><p>“Kaz?!” asked a surprised voice, “what are you doing here?”</p><p>Kaz could now see with more clarity that it was Inej who was looking down at him.</p><p>Her braided hair was shining under the light of the post outside, her big brown orbs wide at the absurd situation. Her bronze skin looked a shade darker, perhaps the result of so many days spent in the sun.</p><p>For a time, he felt like time had stilled, and his lungs didn’t seem to be able to draw in all the much-needed oxygen.</p><p>Inej was here, really here. She wasn’t a figment of his imagination.</p><p>She slowly lowered the knife at she was holding at his throat, her gaze conveying all the confusion she must have felt.</p><p>“Hiding. Obviously.” He whispered looking at the door as if someone was about to slam it open.</p><p>She opened her mouth again, “Wha—”</p><p> </p><p>But before she could utter the rest of the sentence, Kaz had yanked her wrist and ushered inside the wardrobe. “Shhh!” he admonished.</p><p>He had acted without thinking, perhaps all the nights that he had spent in the company of  Jesper and Wylan had started to affect him somehow. His bare hands had immediately found the lower part of her arm, but he had marveled at the fact that it hadn’t affected him. Not really. Usually, whenever she came back from her time at sea, he needed sometime to being around her, and all the sensations she evoked in him, but now, he had felt natural, right. The water had not risen. It hadn’t even stirred.</p><p>Once inside, with the doors barely opened, they looked at each other in the dim light of the wardrobe. Kaz noticed that she was sporting a new, if faded scar on her right cheek.</p><p> </p><p>Inej stashed her knife away and crossed her arms. “Care to explain me why we are hiding in the closet in my room? And why are we whispering?” Her tone low after he had admonished her.</p><p>“You’re back,” he said instead.</p><p>“Obviously,” she replied. A sarcastic echo of the first thing he had told her that night.</p><p>“When did you come back? You weren’t supposed to land for another two days, at least.” It was true, in the few letters Inej managed to send him, she had mentioned she was probably going to make port in Ketterdam two days from now.</p><p>The Suli girl shrugged, cocking her head slightly on the side. The movement had made so that a little wisp of her hair was falling on her forehead.</p><p>Kaz’s hands twitched. Why was he feeling the sudden urge to brush it away?</p><p> </p><p>“We caught good winds. The Wraith landed a little over two hours ago. We were making our way here, but when we got outside the door, I had a feeling something was… off.” She made a brief pause, one corner of her delicate mouth tugging up a bit. “And it seems like I was right.”</p><p>“We?” Kaz asked.</p><p>“Yes, Nina and I. She came back to Ketterdam with me.” Said Inej, as she shifted her position while grunting softly.</p><p>“What’s going on, Kaz? You didn’t answer my questions. Why were you tucked away into my wardrobe? Is something wrong?”</p><p>If at first, she had sounded amused, with each question she had grown agitated. Perhaps it didn’t help the fact that he hadn’t muttered more than two words to her.</p><p>“We’re playing hide and seek.” He told her, shifting the weight off his bed leg.</p><p>“You’re what now?”</p><p>“Yes – you heard me. And I don’t intend to lose to those two. My winning streak is unmatched to this day.”</p><p>Kaz explained looking up at her, a brow raised in defiance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kaz didn’t know what reaction to expect from Inej, but certainly it took him by surprise when she gave out in a raucous laughter. He couldn’t even bring himself to tell her to be quiet, because his brain went in tilt at hearing the sound he secretly adored.</p><p>“And to think – Inej said wiping her eye – that I was worried something serious might have happened. Wait until Nina hears how I’ve found the infamous Kaz Brekker playing hide and seek, stashed away in my wardrobe –”</p><p>“You wouldn’t…”</p><p>“Oh, I would, and most certainly will,” she finished grinning at him. “Who’s the seeker anyways?”</p><p>“The seeker?” echoed Kaz dumbfounded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>The game had turned out to be a fiasco, since an impatient Nina had knocked out the front door of the Van Eck estate, yelling at the top of her lungs their names. When Inej hadn’t come back straight away, her anxiety had <em>kicked</em> in… which had led her to <em>kick</em> the door down as a result.</p><p>Needless to say, after a warm greeting, (not so much from Kaz), from Jesper and Wylan, the girls had started mocking them for being three podges.</p><p>Who played hide and seek and forgot about one of the key points of the game – actually being found after having hidden?</p><p> </p><p>“In my defense, I’ve only played a couple of times as a kid.” Wylan shrugged, a faint blush on his freckled cheeks.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s not like we play it every day!” Jesper had added with a serious tone. After a second, though, he burst out laughing, followed by the others.</p><p>Kaz himself was not so amused by the situation. “You mean to tell me, that if Inej and Nina hadn’t entered the picture, we could have stayed hidden away like chickens all night?”  </p><p>He couldn’t believe it. He was going to smack his cane over the head of those two one of these days.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on, Kaz. Relax! I hear you were very intent on winning,” Nina started turning to him with a knowing smile. “Nice hiding place, if a bit creepy, if you ask me. I hope you didn’t start smelling Inej’s clothes while you were waiting…”</p><p>If looks could kill, Nina Zenik would already be dead on the spot. At her comment, even Inej had let out an embarrassed sound, before, not for the first time, and certainly not the last that day, laughing vigorously.</p><p>He forgot everything around him and thought <em>that’s the laugh. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Distracted as he was, he barely heard Nina shrieking excitedly, hands clasped together as if she had seen a holy apparition.</p><p>“Are those Rice Krispies?”</p><p>A distant chatter started as Wylan and Jesper followed their friend into the living room, a bowl of candy tucked safely under the Zemeni boy’s arm.</p><p>Inej turned to him, and reaching out a hand she softly asked, “Are you coming?”</p><p>He knew that he would have sold everything he owned to keep seeing her smiling at him like she was doing in that moment.</p><p>Kaz extended his own arm, and cautiously, almost tenderly he took her hand in his.</p><p>Before entering the room, he whispered to her “Welcome back, Inej.”</p><p>“It’s good to be back, Kaz.” And she squeezed his hand lightly.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, I always found the man on the wrapping creepy,” Nina was telling the two boys between a mouthful and the other.</p><p>“I know right? What’s up with that guy and his starry eyes?”  Wylan agreed, enjoying one of the bars as well, his back pressed to Jesper’s front as they seated comfortably on a spacious couch.</p><p>Inej went to join Nina on the floor taking a piece of candy the Grisha was offering to her. Watching them from his perch near the door, he couldn’t help not to feel a surge of warmth rising from deep in his chest. This group of people that had inevitably become his family, despite his best attempts at keeping his distance.</p><p>His mouth turned up slightly into a genuine smile.</p><p>He wasn’t feeling happy. Not at all.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again!<br/>I hope you liked my story.<br/>If you feel like it, I have a Tumblr and Twitter account, come say hello! At the moment, I'm mainly posting about Rule of Wolves because it's coming out so soon and I can't. </p><p>Tumblr: @/claudiarya<br/>Twitter: @/ claudiarya1</p></blockquote></div></div>
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